Why Producing GFRP Rebar is Profitable? Complete Cost Calculation

In recent years, composite rebar, particularly Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) rebar, has gained popularity in the construction industry. This is due to its superior properties, such as being lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and highly durable. But how profitable is it to produce such rebar in terms of production cost? Let’s break it down with specific examples.

What is GFRP Rebar?

GFRP rebar consists of rods made from glass fiber strands impregnated with epoxy resin. This material is widely used in construction because it is lighter, stronger, and more durable than traditional steel rebar. However, its main advantage lies in its economic efficiency.

The Cost of Producing GFRP Rebar

To understand the cost of producing GFRP rebar, let’s take as an example rebar with a diameter of 10 mm. The weight of one linear meter of such rebar is 150 grams.

Now, let’s calculate the amount of raw material required to produce one meter of rebar and its cost:

Epoxy resin:

• 20% of 150 grams = 30 grams
• Cost per meter: 30 g×3 USD/kg=0.09 USD30 \, \text{g} \times 3 \, \text{USD/kg} = 0.09 \, \text{USD}30g×3USD/kg=0.09USD

Glass fiber roving:

• 80% of 150 grams = 120 grams
• Cost per meter: 120 g×0.5 USD/kg=0.06 USD120 \, \text{g} \times 0.5 \, \text{USD/kg} = 0.06 \, \text{USD}120g×0.5USD/kg=0.06USD

Thus, the raw material cost for producing one linear meter of 10 mm GFRP rebar is:

Raw Material Cost=0.09 USD+0.06 USD=0.15 USD\text{Raw Material Cost} = 0.09 \, \text{USD} + 0.06 \, \text{USD} = 0.15 \,
\text{USD}Raw Material Cost=0.09USD+0.06USD=0.15USD

Production Expenses

When calculating production costs, it is important to consider not only the cost of raw materials but also electricity costs and equipment depreciation. Let’s look at an example using Composite-Tech equipment, which is among the most productive and efficient on the market.

Performance of Composite-Tech Equipment:

• Production capacity: up to 10,000 linear meters of 10 mm GFRP rebar per shift (8 hours).
• Power consumption: 20 kW per hour.

Let’s calculate the electricity cost for one shift:

Energy Consumption per Shift=20 kW/h×8 h=160 kW\text{Energy Consumption per Shift} = 20 \, \text{kW/h} \times 8 \, \text{h} = 160 \, \text{kW}Energy Consumption per Shift=20kW/h×8h=160kW

Assuming an average electricity cost of $0.1 per kW, the electricity cost for one shift would be:

160 kW×0.1 USD/kW=16 USD160 \, \text{kW} \times 0.1 \, \text{USD/kW} = 16 \, \text{USD}160kW×0.1USD/kW=16USD

Now, to calculate the cost per meter of rebar, we divide the electricity cost by the total number of meters produced:

Electricity Cost per Meter=16 USD10,000 m=0.0016 USD\text{Electricity Cost per Meter} = \frac{16 \, \text{USD}}{10,000 \, \text{m}} = 0.0016 \, \text{USD}Electricity Cost per Meter=10,000m16USD​=0.0016USD

Total Production Cost per Meter of GFRP Rebar

Now, let’s combine all the costs:

• Raw Material Cost: 0.15 USD
• Electricity Cost: 0.0016 USD

Thus, the total production cost for one linear meter of GFRP rebar is:

0.15 USD+0.0016 USD=0.1516 USD0.15 \, \text{USD} + 0.0016 \, \text{USD} = 0.1516 \, \text{USD}0.15USD+0.0016USD=0.1516USD

Therefore, the production cost for one meter of 10 mm diameter GFRP rebar is approximately 0.152 USD.

Advantages of Composite-Tech Equipment

Composite-Tech offers equipment that allows for maximum productivity with minimal energy consumption. Composite-Tech machines can produce up to 10,000 linear meters of rebar per 8-hour shift with minimal power consumption — only 20 kW per hour. This is 30-40% more efficient than other market competitors. Moreover, using such machines reduces depreciation and operating costs, further lowering the final product cost.

Comparing the Cost of GFRP and Steel Rebar

Steel rebar has a significantly higher production cost. For example, 10 mm diameter steel rebar costs about 0.5 USD per meter. This is three times more expensive than the cost of GFRP rebar produced with Composite-Tech equipment.

Furthermore, GFRP rebar has advantages such as corrosion resistance, which significantly increases the lifespan of structures and reduces maintenance and repair costs. Thus, switching to FRP rebar can save up to 300% compared to using steel rebar.

Learn more about FRP Rebar vs. Steel Rebar

Conclusion

Producing GFRP rebar using modern equipment from Composite-Tech is an economically viable solution, providing low production costs and high productivity. FRP rebar is not only cheaper to produce but also offers numerous advantages that make it an ideal choice for modern construction projects.